TAMPA, Fla. — Ahead of the 2023 municipal elections, ABC Action News reached out to candidates running for office in Hillsborough County. The following statements have been submitted to ABC Action News by the candidate. Every candidate was given the same set of questions. These are their responses, unedited, in his/her own words.
Question 1: What is the most important issue facing your district?
Answer: Providing affordable, workforce housing and expanded, efficient transit services to meet the needs of the greatest number of residents. Please see attached explanation on these 2 issues.
Question 2: How do you plan to address the affordable housing crisis in your district? What is your stance on rent control?
Answer: Again, see the answer on the attached below. Rent control is not allowed in Florida unless there is a "housing emergency" which can be difficult to prove. In addition, the Florida Legislature already has a bill introduced to remove event the "housing emergency" provision and make it tougher for cities to impose rent control.
Question 3: What is your position on development projects in your district?
Answer: Development projects are determined by our comprehensive plan and our zoning code. I have been an advocate for citizens to have an active role in determining what projects fit the character of their neighborhoods. I have encouraged developers to speak with neighborhood leaders about the size, scope and value of the projects they are working on.
Question 4: How do you plan to address the growing issue of traffic congestion and pedestrian safety?
Answer: We still don't have enough sidewalks in every part of the city, especially in the most economically challenged and economically transitional. Part of the issue has been the manner in which we use the funds, already created and funded, to provide sidewalks. We look at it as part of the road instead of an individual mode of transportation. It's been better over the last 2 years, but I think a more dedicated source of funding can be found within the budget to complete a network of sidewalks. Second, I proposed, and advocated, for the Painted Streets program which started in 2018 and was expanded under the current administration. This provides a "calming" of traffic within neighborhoods reducing pedestrian accidents and overall safety.
Question 5: How do you balance the need for economic growth while protecting our natural resources?
Answer: I've done much of this work already. I was a leader and advocate for protecting our tree canopy during my time on Council working with activists, neighborhoods and developers to ensure a strong tree canopy in the City. I promoted and passed an ordinance designating parks for public use only to make sure future Councils and Mayors COULD NOT sell to developer any of our parks. Last, we still need to be diligent in continuing to fight the Legislature restricting our right to control our own natural resources.
Question 6: Crime and public safety are issues of concern for your constituents. How do you plan to address them?
Answer: I think we need more community policing within affected neighborhoods, emphasizing foot and bicycle patrols, communicating on a daily basis with neighborhood leaders and businesses. We also need help on the number of guns in our city. Unfortunately we have been preempted by the Legislature from doing any sensible gun regulation and, this Legislature, seems to be headed toward constitutional carry laws which will flood our community with even more weapons.
Question 7: Specifically, there has been a uptick in shootings involving teens, what are some of your solutions to reduce teen crime?
Answer: In terms of violent crime, I believe much of it is associated with gang activity. I have heard from neighborhood leaders I trust that we have a gang violence problem. To solve this problem, we need continuous communication to the entire city about the signs of gang activity, speaking with teens about the need to speak up when there is a crime and about gun safety to gun owners in locking away their guns away from teens and securing them so they are not stolen and fall into criminal hands. ,
Question 8: Is there anything else you would like to say that your constituents should know about your run for mayor?
Answer: Vigilance-During my previous service on Council, I have fought for and passed an ordinance making it easier for our city to inspect massage parlors for human trafficking. After 6 months of work with the City attorney's office, advocacy groups like Created and Polaris our work resulted in an ordinance making it harder for massage parlors and bath houses to continue or to set up in our City.
Commitment-I believes in safer streets for our neighborhoods and worked hard to create and promote our “Painted Intersection†program. Painted streets are a way to slow traffic, especially around parks and schools. I committed the time and effort looking at what other cities were doing and working with the city’s transportation department to make it a reality. I even helped paint the first one in South Seminole Heights!
Trust-I know the importance of spending your tax money efficiently. I worked on Council to ask questions about wasteful spending on a paving machine the city could not use. It was not only a bad purchase, but we had to sell the machinery for a loss of over $125,000 of YOUR money. I understand how to find and eliminate these bad practices and you can trust he’s always there make to protect your money.
WEBSITE: https://mikefortampa.com
